K.C. Rivers showed his capable of doing everything. While leading the team in scoring, he was second on the team in rebounding and assists per game. He will take over leadership for the Tigers and should compete for All-ACC accolades.

Super quick sophomore DemontezStitt, showed he can handle ACC competition in his freshmen year. Not only can he find open looks for others, he will get to the basket with ease when needed.

Long distance bomber Terrance Oglesby, showed he can make the big shots. After scoring 24.4 ppg with the Under 20 Norwegian National team this summer, he has dual citizenship, in his second year he will to bring that scoring average aboard and evolve his game to be dangerous from anywhere on the court, not just behind the three point line.

Trevor Booker will not have James Mays to keep teams from double teaming in the post, but Booker will still be the primary post presence. His scoring average should go up and Booker should up with quite a few double doubles.

Senior Raymond Sykes will not be a scoring threat like Booker. He will be needed to block shots, crash the boards and throw down the occasional lob pass. Sykes has exceptional jumping ability.

Incoming freshmen will be slotted into back-up roles. Andre Young is an outstanding shooter from distance and was a Top-100 recruit out of high school.

Offense can wait for CatalinBaciu, but his shot blocking will be felt immediately and Jerai Grant will continue to develop and see more minutes.

FORECAST
What a year for the Clemson Tigers. They finished the regular season in third place in the ACC, beat Duke in the ACC tournament and lost to UNC by only five points in the championship game.

So what does Clemson do to continue the success? Shoot better from the free throw line. As a team they shot only 62 percent from the charity stripe-only three players shot over 70 percent from the line-while shooting 37 percent from three. Improving in both would likely lock-up at least two more wins. This team has quality options on offense, they have good post play and great perimeter shooters.

The major question is on defense. Last season the Tigers outscored their opponents’ 79-69 and out rebounded them by only two rebounds per game. Look for Clemson to try to outscore they other team, not shut them down.

The Tigers will again compete to play in the ACC tournament championship game while making a push to the top on the regular season.

While the Demon Deacons have a top five recruiting class, this team is still James Johnson’s. Johnson is an elite athlete who is extremely versatile, but this team extremely talented and his averages could dip as the shots will be more spread through out the team. But in the clutch, the ball will be in his hands.

Point guard Ishmael Smith’s free throw shooting is a well documented liability. Shooting 29 percent from the charity stripe and 43 from the field is unbelievable as a back court player. He is a pass first point guard who has a ton of talent that needs their shots.

Jeff Teague is a scorer and got better in conference play. He was the only double figure scorer from last season and he Smith compliment each other very well.

Stud freshmen Al-FarouqAminu will have high expectations, but he will be giving sometime to grow. He is a skill player who is very quick off the floor.

There is not shortage of centers on this team. But Chas McFarland saw his numbers and minutes jump under Gaudio. But he will be challenged for the starting spot by freshmen Tony Woods and Ty Walker.

Both are top-notch defenders with shot blocking ability, but their offense games need improvement. But they will see plenty of time off the bench.

6’4” guard L.D. Williams is the best perimeter defender and will get many chances to shut down players.

Harvey Hale played 23 minutes a game last season. His minutes might depend on who steady Smith is able to play.

FORECASTThis team is very tough to feel out. The Demon Deacons are obviously talented, but how are they as a team?

The team has depth and height in the frontcourt, but finding a rotation would a problem most coaches would like to have. Yet it is a problem. With three impact freshmen and a player in Johnson who will complete for Player of the Year honors, minutes could be hard to find.

The Demon Deacons are on their way to the top of the ACC and I really think they could end up any where from second to 7 in the conference. Ultimately, they are too talented to finish in the bottom half and will bring tough games to every team.

It is now of never for A.D. Vassallo. This team will need him to take the leadership role and continue to expend his scoring role. At 6’6” Vassallo is a match-up problem for most guards in the ACC. He is a volume scorer and how is dangerous behind the arc.

Malcolm Delaney is the third option in this offense, but he might be the most important. He was the Hokies best shooter from distance shooting 40 percent last season.

The second wing spot could go to a number of players, but J.T. Thompson adds hustle and takes up space. He will never get shots in the offense, but should get some buckets cleaning-up.

Jeff Allen had a freshmen season filled up moments of good and bad. The good was his offensive production. The bad was his weight and a suspension after make contact with an official. Coach Greenberg has been hard on him regarding his conditioning but that should improve and so will Allen’s numbers.

Multiply players could step in at center, and while he lacks an offensive game, the defense of CheickDiakite is what is needed.

Freshmen Victor Davila figures to battle for the starting center spot. Having played for the PuertoRican national team, he game is more sophisticated than most incoming freshmen.

Hank Thorns and Derenzo Hudson will make-up the backcourt support for the Hokies.

FORECAST
Jeff Greenberg will not have the most athletic team in the ACC, but has some very good “basketball” pieces. He just has to complete the puzzle, by finding the right mix if players.

Where this team finishes in the ACC will depend heavily on how consistent Vassallo and Allen can play. There are not a lot of offense options on this team, but there are plenty of bodies to help out defensively.

Virginia Tech lost one of the best pure athletes in Deron Washington, but did not do much to replace him.

The concern will not only be finding another double figure scorer, but replacing all the other aspects of the game where Washington contributed, especially on defense.

Last season Virginia Tech had the best scoring defense in the ACC and if they want to win and play in March, they must repeat the feat.